The End of the Tunnel
by I'm never happy
Summary: Sometimes life is like this dark tunnel. You can't always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you just keep moving…you will come to a better place.  Zutara


The End of the tunnel

She stood up and walked over to him, "Maybe I can heal you, this water is from the oasis at the north pole, maybe you can be free from your scar."

He looked up at her, her blue eyes, shining beautiful in the dimly lit cave. He looked away, attempting to break from her gaze, he felt as if those eyes, could see all the evil within, all his wrongdoings, all his imperfections. Then what she said hit him, free from his scar, the imperfection. Every morning he saw that scar, and every morning he was reminded of his failure, his foolish outburst that cost him his honor. To be free of that, to no longer wake up and be reminder of how he lost his honor. It was more than that though, it was a part of him, it was part of who he was.

Then she reached towards him, and he snapped his head up, surprised, but she continued slowly, her gentle finger approaching his face, his scar, then she touched him. He met her eyes, no longer with fear, as he felt her soft touch on his scar, they starred at each other then she broke his gaze. She reached and grabbed the water, and ever so gently, pulled the silver liquid out. She approached him again, this time the water formed around her hand, "May I?" she asked.

He was too surprised, his heart racing, in the intensity of the moment, he was about to lose his scar, but he would be a new man, he nodded and as he did she brought the water over his eye, and in an instant it was glowing, then done, her dry hand resting over his eye.

Aang and Iroh rushed through the underground, Aang using his underdeveloped form of earthbending sight to search the nearby caverns. They quickly gathered ground, running across the trampled ground, green crystals emanating a green glow, lighting the caverns. Finally he felt them, there silhouettes, shadows in his mind, "This way!" he called to Iroh, making a sharp right turn.

He had tried with the guru, he really had, but he knew he loved Katara too much to give her up. He knew he would regret it, that he would need the avatar state more then ever now that a coup was happening right here in Bah Sing Se, but it was too much too lose with too much to gain. He quickly reached the barrier separating him from his beloved Katara. He stared ahead for a second, then with earthbending, pulled the wall down.

He saw it. It was less then a second, but in Aang's mind it would last decades. The way he held her, the way she held him. It was disgusting, it made him sick, but more than that, he was furious. He walked in on Katara and Zuko in embrace, their lips, morphing across each other in the same way he had always dreamt. As Aang walked in Zuko pulled away, embarrassed, then as he saw who stepped in behind Aang he called, "What are you doing with him!"

Iroh ignored him and stepped into the cell, he turned to Aang and Katara and said, "You two get out of here, I have to talk to my nephew."

Katara quickly left the tunnel down another passage and Aang followed, turning back only to stare at Zuko, furious at what had happened. It was at that moment he noticed it, Zuko's scar was gone. Aang almost gasped in disbelief, then he saw it, the vial of oasis water lay open on the floor, used and abandoned. Of, course she would use it for him, he thought, she loved him. He quickly tried to think of something else, attempting to bite back the tears that seemed so imminent when Katara called, "Come on Aang, let's go."

He turned quickly to catch up with his betrayer.

She stood in front of him, wearing her Dai Lee uniform, the coup was virtually successful except for one thing: he, the avatar was still alive. Katara stood near also facing this common enemy of theirs, Azula, the cold hearted, deadly princess of the fire nation, the one thing Aang could agree to work with his betrayer to overcome.

"This hardly seems fair now doesn't it?" she called over to them in the mocking tone she always used. Normally Aang wouldn't have been phased by it but under these circumstances, it infuriated it even more.

Then she called out "Ah, someone to even the numbers."

Aang turned behind him towards his other enemy, Zuko. He walked towards Aang, staying on Azula's side to keep the balance. It was the new scarless Zuko, apparently it didn't mean anything to him that Katara had made out with him and healed him, Aang thought.

Zuko stared at Aang unflinchingly, and just staring back with pure loathing, but then he turned towards Azula and struck, sending a torrent of fire her way, the fight had begun.

They were surrounded, Zuko, fighting his sister, and losing badly, Katara and Iroh surrounded by at least twenty Dai Lee agents and the rest of them, maybe forty in number surrounding him. He had one thing left, one thing he could do, so he did it. He made a makeshift fort using crystals to surround him as he began his meditation. He had nothing left to hold on to, no more worldly possessions. As he completed his meditation he felt the power, surging through him as he embraced the avatar state. He rose and the Dai Lee fell.

They had amassed an army and the day of black sun was under way. An ambush invasion plan. Aang had decided he would go face the fire lord alone while the others fought among the soldiers. He had grabbed his glider and began flying, solely thinking about his job ahead. He soon reached the fire nation capitols, streets, bustling with every day people walking about. The eclipse was approaching as he lay eyes on the capitol building. He scaled over rooftops, quickly running trying to remain unseen, but as he reached the final plaza that separated him from the capitol he had no choice but to sprint through.

He heard cries of, "The avatar," and other such but he ignored it slamming through the front doors of the palace. He broke through the guards quickly, dismissing them and before he knew it he was in the fire lords hall, in the middle of a war meeting, then the eclipse began.

It had been a month since the defeat of the fire lord on the day of black sun and the fire nation, now on trial for the crimes, was no lead by fire lord Zuko. They where soon to be marry he heard and when the though once again raced through his mind,, the knife seemed more appealing. He had in fact received a letter to their wedding, an insult in itself. He had lost everything to them, his love, Katara. They would never be together and that was why he sat here now staring down and the blade, shining in the twilight sun. His world was over, he had nothing left to live for, the war was done, so he asked himself, why was he living? He remembered the day when he woke from the iceberg so short a time ago and the thought alone brought tears to his eyes, and with that, he plunged the knife into his chest.


End file.
